Access points allow wireless stations to reach a network backbone. In more detail, a lap top computer or a smart telephone establishes a connection with an access point within RF (radio frequency) range in order to exchange packets with the access point as a proxy to the backbone network. Each access point has a limited RF range, so multiple access points are deployed amongst a physical location such as a company building for adequate coverage. Some areas of the building may have heavy usage by lots of wireless stations and require additional access points within the same RF range to handle the load. An access point layout plots each of the access points within the physical location, which can be useful for many purposes such as identifying coverage area dead spots.
Problematically, a network administrator visits each access point and manually logs a location in order to create the layout. When stations are moved from one location to another to adjust coverages or handle varying loads, the network administrator typically makes another manual visit to the new location in order to revise the layout.
What is needed is a robust technique to automatically generate logical maps for access point layouts.